Valheim servers: How to play multiplayer with a dedicated server

While Valheim can be played on your ain, it's simply a lot more fun to play with friends — or, sometimes, even total strangers. Many easily make calorie-free work, as the erstwhile aphorism goes, so information technology makes sense to become a agglomeration of people in your world at the same fourth dimension. The obvious trouble is that it's not e'er like shooting fish in a barrel to line up schedules, especially when trying to take down the many bosses of Valheim, which makes setting upwardly a defended server much more attractive. That way, you and your friends tin can jump on at any time since the server will always be running! Here'south how to get information technology gear up.

Products used in this guide

Survive like a Viking: Valheim ($20 at Steam)

How to set up a Valheim dedicated multiplayer server

Open up Steam, navigate to the Library tab and search for Valheim.
Install Valheim Defended Server. This is a divide free download from the game Valheim.
One time it's finished downloading and installing, right-click in the Valheim Dedicated Server entry in your Steam Library and select properties.
Select local files on the left side of the screen, then click browse to locate the directory where the server is installed. For reference, it's typically installed in "C:\Programme Files (x86)\Steams\steamapps\common\Valheim dedicated server" on a Windows 10 PC.
Right-click on "start_headless_server.bat" and select Edit. This will open the server'south settings file in Notepad.
You lot'll want to edit the bottom line to customize your server. The highlighted parts in the image below are what need to be customized.
Modify "My Server" to the proper name you lot want for your server. Give it a unique name so your friends can find it.
Change "Dedicated" to the name of the world yous're playing in. Valheim Dedicated Server will automatically await for worlds in the same binder that Valheim stores them in
If you're hosting a defended server, make sure to copy the "C:\Users\YourWindowsUsername\AppData\LocalLow\IronGate\Valheim\" folder from the calculator you're playing the game on to the aforementioned location on your server so that the server can observe the worlds you want to play in.
Change "secret" to the password of your selection. Nosotros recommend setting a password to avoid griefers inbound your server and destroying your stuff.
If you want a friends-but server, leave the 0 public setting as-is. If you want this defended server to appear in the list of community servers, change this number to i.
Save the file and shut Notepad.
Back in the Valheim Dedicated Server binder, double-click on "start_headless_server.bat" to commencement the server.
The commencement time yous run the defended server, Windows Firewall should inquire you to allow the connection. Check the boxes next to private and public to allow Valheim Dedicated Server to talk to your private at-abode network and the Internet.
A command prompt window will appear and show you a running log of what's happening on the server. In one case everything has started, open up Valheim and search for your server in the Join Server tab.
Your server will but appear nether the Friends listing if y'all set the public option to 0 in the config file. Otherwise, your server will appear under the Customs Servers section if it'southward a public server.
If y'all and your friends are unable to observe the server, you may need to add exceptions to your abode router for ports 2456, 2457, and 2458. Consult your router's documentation for the best ways to do this.

One time you lot've got your dedicated server running, yous can leave information technology be until the next fourth dimension Valheim updates! If your server crashes or your computer gets turned off somehow, you can ever start the server support by running the "start_headless_server.bat" file located in the application directory.

How to update a Valheim defended multiplayer server

Since Valheim is in Early Access, it's receiving a lot of updates regularly. When Valheim updates, y'all'll need to terminate your dedicated server and let Steam update the application files. But it's non merely a affair of closing the command prompt window, equally you could end upward corrupting your world thanks to a issues in Valheim.

Make sure all players have exited the server before making any changes.
With the control prompt dedicated server window open, press the Control and C keys at the aforementioned time to initiate a shutdown.
You may exist asked to ostend server termination. Press Y to confirm.
The window will close automatically when the server has been shut downward.
In Steam, go to your Downloads and select the up arrow on the Valheim Dedicated Server to initiate an update.
One time the update is complete, run the "start_headless_server.bat" file located in the awarding directory.

Dedicated servers are the all-time style to run a huge Valheim world that's piece of cake for everyone to play. That'southward because a dedicated server is designed to run all the fourth dimension and allow people to play when it's most convenient for them. It's recommended that you have a decent modernistic computer to run the defended server, as it'll need a good fleck of processing ability and memory to process everything Valheim players tin can exercise in the game.

If you're dealing with lots of stuttering or slowdowns while playing, you might want to consider picking up ane of the best gaming PCs to get an upgraded feel.

Don't sail alone

Valheim Art

Valheim (Early Access)

Take hold of a friend, or nine

Valheim is an early on access survival game that has you living the life of a Viking stuck betwixt World and Valhalla. Volition you lot go far to run into paradise?

The best pre-built desktop gaming PCs for playing Valheim

It all ends in the grave

The best pre-congenital desktop gaming PCs for playing Valheim

Nosotros've rounded up some of the all-time pre-built gaming desktop PCs y'all tin purchase for playing Valheim. Because it's not a demanding PC game, you don't need to become all-out with crazy specifications and can bag a solid deal if y'all're on a tighter budget.